high heels, even higher standards

two

Caroline Hill. Freaking Caroline Hill was my great aunt. How I had no clue, I had no idea. It's Caroline freaking Hill, for God's sake, you'd think someone would've told me! She's only has like a billion Grammys and hit songs.

The look on her face told me I may have been drooling and looking completely insane. Either that or she just saw one of her five ex-husbands walk down the street. "Uh, sorry, aunt Cary," I wiped my face and smiled.

She laughed, "You're fine, honey. Everyone does it!" Conceited much? I couldn't even be appalled by it though. She was Caroline Hill. And it was true; everyone overreacted when they saw her. "You know, you don't have to stand outside. You can come in," she laughed again.

I smiled and forced a laugh. "Yeah, okay," I said and grabbed a couple of my bags while John grabbed the others and stepped inside.

It was like I stepped into heaven. Everything was white. And I mean everything. Everything was perfect. The high ceilings were the perfect height and curved stairway was curved at the perfect angle and the sheer, white curtain were the perfect...sheerness? Everything was just perfect.

"I'm assuming your mom didn't tell you about this at all. Did she?" I felt her rest her hands on my shoulders from behind. I shook my head no because that's all I could do right then. I was paralyzed by the perfectness of her house. Of her.

She laughed again. "That's just like your mother. Not wanting to claim me and the rest of the family."

I probably should've been really offended by that because of everything that happened. My mom was the only one there for me, but it was true. She never mentioned any of her family members to me besides the occasional "Aunt Cary called," or "Shaina emailed," when my dad was talking to my mom. Other than that, nothing. I forced out a fake laugh, - I hate when people do that, but it was necessary - "Yeah. Mom didn't talk about the family too much."

Aunt Cary took the bags I had in my hands and started walking towards the curved staircase. "Unfortunately, that doesn't surprise me. C'mon, let's go pick out your room," she had a huge smile plastered across her face.

"Okay, let me just grab my other bag," I said. I turned around to see John in a crazy daze. He was practically melting from the immense joy he was recievung from being in her house. I waved my hand in front of his face to snap him out of it. "Hello? John?" His eyes finally stopped looking all daze-like and looked at me. "I-I am so very sorry!" he yelled.

His voice echoed throughout the house. The two of us bursted out in laughter. "Oh, Ms. Hill, your house is very echoey!" he yelled once again, even though he was fully aware of the echo that would respond. "Ah, here, Ms. Gilligan! I will leave you to figure everything out now! Have a splendid day!" he paused, "And thank you for allowing me to be present inside of Ms. Hill's luxurious house." He said it in a normal tone, which caught me off guard.

I smiled and took my last suitcase. "No problem, John. Thank you for bringing me here. Your service was more than appreciated." I'd met this man maybe twenty minutes ago and he'd become the only person I was even semi-close to; I sure was going to miss him.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

400 square feet of pure beauty.

The room was everything I could've dreamed for and more. A huge, black bed with a perfect-shade-of-maroon comforter and tall white walls with gray, shaggy carpet and huge white french doors with sheer, black curtains that led out to a balcony that surveyed the. Pacific Ocean. There was even an outstanding all black fireplace opposite the bed. I could literally feel myself dying from the beauty. It was unbearable.

"I hope you like it. I didn't know if you'd like the black with the maroon or not," aunt Cary sounded extremely worried.

I looked at her in aw. "How could someone not like this? Scratch that. Love this. It so much more than I'd expected. It's huge!" I stuttered a little, but there was no way I was keeping all that excitement in.

Her face lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it! Well, I'm sure you're probably eager to get all your stuff put away, so I'll leave you be for a little while. If you need absolutely anything, just call my name and I'll be here as fast as I can!" She sat my suitcases next to the door, smiled at me and left.

I sat the one suitcase I had next to the bed and walk over to find the one that held my journal.

My journal wasn't too hard to find; it was in a front pocket of one of the suitcase. I grabbed and plopped my body down on the ginormous bed. My favorite purple pen found itself glued to my hand as I began to let everything out onto the neat, little lines of my journal.